The Mets may not view Cole Mathis as a first baseman quite yet<\/p>\n
Of course, Mathis couldn\u2019t escape the game without making an error because that\u2019s just what everyone involved with the 2026 Mets seems to do. It did lead to a run but it didn\u2019t really matter much as his team lost 11-3.<\/p>\n
Primarily a first baseman in college and again when he started playing for the Cubs in the minors, it\u2019s a bold choice by the Mets to, off of an injury, put him over at third base. For a club that has been overly cautious at the major league level, they\u2019re not going to waste any time to see if Mathis can be more than a guy to park at first base.<\/p>\n
Several years away from being a solution anywhere, both corner infield spots look wide open for anyone to stake a claim. Even if Bo Bichette was to somehow make it through the end of three years as a member of the Mets, the timing works out well for Mathis to debut around the tail end or upon completion of the deal.<\/p>\n
Mathis is a highly rated Mets prospect with ESPN naming him the tenth best the organization has<\/a>. This year should include a few more games in High-A with possibly a sighting in Double-A. The real test will come next season as we should expect him to start in Binghamton and play at least half of the year there. The Mets have been quick to promote several of their top prospects when they show results. Mathis, for now, just needs to prove he\u2019s healthy and can stay that way.<\/p>\n Successfully turning Mathis into a major league third baseman would make this trade far more rewarding than if he\u2019s a first baseman. Either outcome would be acceptable. However, given the team\u2019s historic lack of quality third basemen and even the perceived lack of attention to first basemen (don\u2019t let Keith Hernandez read this<\/a>), one spot has the far greater appeal.<\/p>\n
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